First lady in Haiti: Build on gains of AIDS fund

The visit lasted only a few hours, but that's all first lady Laura Bush needed to conclude that major U.S. funding for AIDS programs, which has helped dramatically reduce the rate of infection in Haiti, must continue.

''I want to encourage especially the people of Haiti and the Haitian Americans . . . in Florida and all over the United States to stay involved in Haiti, to reach out as individuals . . . to make sure this success continues,'' she told The Miami Herald.

Bush's stop in Haiti, part of a two-day tour of the region, comes a few months after a controversial study claimed a subtype of AIDS originated in this country and traveled to the United States.

The first lady didn't discuss the study. Instead, she spent most of her time touring the country's leading HIV/AIDS research clinic.

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